Trailers can be designed to couple or otherwise attach to a truck, sports utility vehicle, or other such vehicle capable of towing the trailer. Trailers can be designed for towing large and heavy items and as a result, trailers often carry valuable items. For example, trailers often are used to tow boats, automobiles, all terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and commercial goods. Such goods and items are often transported across large distances. During such a trip, the vehicle and the attached trailer carrying the valuable items are often left unattended while the driver stops to rest for the night or eat a meal. Such circumstances leave the trailer and cargo susceptible to theft.
The trailer itself can also be a valuable item. Many trailers are designed for a specific purpose, such as towing a boat or a pair of wave runners, and, as a result, can be relatively expensive. Boats or wave runners are often towed to a lake or other such body of water, removed from the trailer, and put into use. This leaves the vehicle and the trailer coupled to the vehicle unattended and a potential target of theft.
It is desirable to develop and design novel methods and apparatus that are capable of deterring the theft of a trailer or cargo carried on the trailer. Such methods and apparatus can provide greater security against the unauthorized removal of a trailer and its cargo.